Sports Doc

In my 20+ years of experience in the Fitness world as a coach, trainer, athlete and just a normal Joe, I’ve learned 3 major things the Fitness world won’t say.

#1 - The Fitness world is a business. Like every business, the main goal is the bottom line, meaning money. The true essence of training should lie with the client — the results, the benefits, and the product delivered to the client. Often though, this is replaced with what’s hot, what’s convenient and what can get the fastest results with the fastest profit — all at the expense of the clients’ long-term results.

Will they be able to maintain their progress? Are they taught proper form and importance of form to prevent injuries? Is the workout really benefiting them and helping them reach their personal goals? Make sure, as the consumer, you are getting what you personally need out of your coach/trainer; if it is important to you, then it needs to be important to them as well.

#2 - Not every workout works for everyone. One of the biggest reasons for not reaching goals or not continuing with a fitness regimen, is when the workout is not tailored to each client’s specific needs, wants and interests. Not everyone loves to work out, as I do, therefore the drive and motivation may be difficult to maintain.

Finding the right fitness workout is like finding the perfect pair of jeans. You have to travel to different stores and try on a bunch of different styles before you can be happy and comfortable in them. Even after buying them, you need to wear them and wash them a couple of times, before knowing if they are the perfect fit.

If you’re not catching my analogy, it is simply this: find what works for you, what will keep you interested, what will keep you motivated. Do not commit until you’ve experienced a couple workouts for yourself.

It’s your money. It’s your body. It’s your results. Don’t worry about what others say. Commit when you know it’s the best choice for you, like the feeling when you slide on that perfect pair of jeans. Just remember, fitness and health are life-long commitments and can never be achieved in one week, one pill, or one video.

#3 - Fitness and health cannot be measured by image alone. Fitness is often wrongly assessed strictly through weight, size, or look.

Yes, your weight is very important, but at the same time, it is very misleading. Your true measures should be how you feel, how you fit in your clothes, and how your fitness levels have improved.

Set marks for your shirt, dress, and pant sizes. Set marks for fitness movements such as push-ups, sit-ups, pull-ups, burpees, etc. Not every woman is built to be 5-foot-10 and 120 pounds, nor is every man built to be 6-foot-1 and 175 pounds.

You have been blessed with your body, so make sure your body is at its best for you, not someone else's image.